BANGALORE: On April 1, when the 107-year-old Shivakumara swamiji of Siddaganga mutt in Tumkur finished his early morning pooja and came out of the sanctum sanctorum, four Lok Sabha candidates from Bangalore were waiting to seek his blessings. Tuesday, which was the pontiff's birthday as well, also saw many other political leaders, cutting across party lines, make a beeline to the mutt.

The Siddaganga mutt, located along the Bangalore-Tumkur highway near Kyatsandra, is must-visit on politicians' itinerary now that the poll fever is catching up. The long queue of netas also points to the enormous influence the religious body wields in the region.

And it's not difficult to probe why. Though a Lingayat mutt, it offers free education in gurukula format, boarding and food to over 8,000 children from all castes. The mutt attracts poor students not only from old Mysore region but also from faraway North Karnataka.

Shivakumara Swamiji, known as Nadedaduva Devaru (the god who walks), also runs several professional and vocational educational institutions. The annual agricultural fairs and exhibitions at the mutt are also popular.

Srikantaiah R, a Tumkur resident and old student of the mutt, said since March first week, when the polls were announced, several leaders have visited the mutt. "The biggies include LK Advani, Nandan Nilekani and Ananth Kumar. Several other candidates have come here to seek the seer's blessings before filing nominations," he added.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi too had visited the mutt in 2012, in what was perceived as the party's move to woo Lingayats ahead of assembly elections. For many years, no national leader from the Congress had attended any mutt functions and the visit was used to counter the propaganda that the Lingayat vote had been monopolized by the BJP and its leader, BS Yeddyurappa.

The move paid off. Sonia's Siddaganga mutt visit indeed marked a turnaround in the Congress fortunes in Karnataka. State Congress president G Parameshwara, who hails from the district, ensures he is "always in the picture" when it comes to mutt affairs.

Lingayat strongman Yeddyurappa, who is set to take out a mega rally in Tumkur district in support of the party candidate, will do so only after taking the blessings of the seer. "Irrespective of which political party takes the lead, there will be a mega function to celebrate the birth anniversary of the seer in Bangalore, soon after the elections. If the BJP forms government, we will make sure Narendra Modi attends the programme," said a prominent mutt functionary.

Though the mutt and the seer are unlikely to extend direct support to any party or candidate, sources in the mutt said as the polling day nears, feelers are sent to followers on which candidate should be backed in the district.

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